Surgical strike day: When Indian Army in Vajpayee-era executed major covert attack that killed 16 Pak soldiers

Much like how the 2016 surgical strikes were conducted after militants attacked security forces in Uri town, the Indian Army's covert military operation in 2000 was in response to attack from across LoC

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New Delhi: The surgical strikes conducted by the Indian Army on the terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir across the Line of Control (LoC) in the wee hours of September 29, 2016 were perhaps the first of its kind response by the Army across Pakistani border during peace time. Incidentally, in 2000, during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-era, the Army had executed a similar covert operation in which it killed 16 Pakistani soldiers.

Much like how the 2016 surgical strikes were conducted as retaliation after militants attacked security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri town, the covert military operation by the Indian Army in 2000 was in response to an attack from across the LoC. The major operation was carried out on January 22, 2000, under the leadership of the then Army chief Gen. Ved Prakash Malik, who also oversaw India’s victory in Kargil War.

Reportedly, as part of the operation, Indian soldiers attacked a Pakistan Army post at midnight of January 22, 2000. The attack was launched from three directions in the Iftikharabad sub-sector in Chhamb sector across the LoC.

Sawhney told the news portal that the soldiers who participated in the January 2000 strike were from the Ghatak platoons, which belong to regular infantry units that have special operations capabilities. Every infantry battalion of the Indian Army has one such platoon.
Notably, between January and August 2000, Indian security forces had carried out similar strikes across the border in Akhnoor, Mendhar, Kotli, Naushera and Pallanwala regions.

In 2016, 10 days after the Uri attacks that claimed the lives of 19 jawans, the Indian Army executed surgical strikes across LoC, attacking terror hubs in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Later, the Army announced that 38 terrorists and 2 Pakistani soldiers were killed in the strikes, though the Indian Army faced no casualties.

Surgical strike day: When Indian Army in Vajpayee-era executed major covert attack that killed 16 Pak soldiersDescription:Much like how the 2016 surgical strikes were conducted after militants attacked security forces in Uri town, the Indian Army's covert military operation in 2000 was in response to attack from across LoCTimes Now